A Dancer's World
by lamuexte
Summary: In the desert!AU, Nagisa is a dancer by day and a harem member by night. These are the tales of his life. [Short stories]. (Heavily influenced off of the song 'El Tango De Roxanne' and the comic by hubedihubbe on Tumblr). [Rated T for suggestive themes]
1. Dry Kisses

Every day, he must return to the castle for his daily rendez-vous'. And every time he arrives, he's met with dry kisses.

The prince's lips are rough - his gentle caresses leave scratches on the fair skin of his lover. At the end of each night, if he's not told to stay the night, he goes home and bathes for hours in icy water. It helps cool his burning soul; a soul full of anger and shame.

He had to do this. For money. He didn't want to dance through the rest of his life on sandy streets, taking ragged breaths of the dusty air.

Every day he'd dance, then walk through those looming obsidian doors. He'd endure the dry kisses, squirm under the little bites and nips, and blankly stare at their cracked love.

The fake love.

Whenever the prince whispered ' _'Ahabak.._ ', the blonde couldn't tell if his words were real or not. He never said _'I love you'_ back.

He was told that simple sentence hundreds of times a day.

Once at the castle: between the rustled sheets, tangled legs, and stench of sex. The other times were when he was in the arms of his beloved: being told he was beautiful, and perfect, and many other little things.

And whenever he fell asleep against his partner, he'd easily forget all the pain. His feet no longer ached from dancing, and his skin didn't burn from the throbbing heat of the Arabian sun.

He seemed to forget he was part of a harem, that his body _belonged_ to someone. When he fell asleep against his partner, tears would trickle down his dusty cheeks as he smiled.

His beloved easily made him forget about the dry kisses,and that was all the blonde could ever wish for.

* * *

 ** _Fun Fact!_**

 _'Ahabak, or_ أحبك _means 'I love you' in Arabic. I assumed this took place in ancient Arabia._


	2. Can't Stand It

It was one of those days again.

Nagisa had risen early from his partner's arms, stretching as he watched the sun come up over the horizon. It painted the sand dunes in a pretty hue of amber; one of his favorite colors.

The morning air was already starting to grow warm, a pleasant breeze passing over his bare skin. His hands were resting on the cool stone of the windowsill. Children were running barefoot down the winding streets.

As he prepared to turn away to get dressed, he felt a pair of soft hands take ahold of his hips gently. "Good morning, _ya helo…"_ whispered a voice, his words pouring over Nagisa like soothing water.

"Good morning," he smiled back, leaning back to press gently against the other. He was always surprised at how smooth the other's skin was - it was slightly warm to the touch.

After giving the blonde a gentle kiss on the back of his neck, Rei murmured, "What? No nickname for me this morning..?"

Nagisa giggled, moving away slightly before turning to face him. "Nah," he joked. "I think you already know how much you mean to me without those silly names Rei."

Now _both_ of them were giggling, the blue-haired man moving aside so that Nagisa could gather his clothes on the floor. "The prince requested me tonight," the blonde muttered, slipping on his harem pants, and then the sheer overlay.

"Ah," Rei muttered, going to grab a brush to untangle the dancer's hair. "I see. Can't stay away from him long can you?"

Nagisa shook his head, sighing dismally as he slipped on the top part of his bedlah. "Not really. I'm lucky enough that he even lets me go home for some of the nights. I have to do as he wishes Rei, whether we like it or not."

"Well… Just be safe okay? I'll come and watch your street performance later this morning." The blonde smiled as he put on his jewelry, and stole his other accessories off the vanity.

"Sure thing Rei," he chuckled, skipping out the door. His partner sighed before crawling back to bed.

* * *

Later that morning, just as Rei promised, he showed up to Nagisa's normal performance spot and hid in the shadows. He leaned on one of the houses, away from the sun and the prince's eyes.

The dancer twirled through the street with such grace and beauty, his eyes closed as he soaked up the sunlight and smiled into the clear blue sky.

He smelled like sweat and lotus flowers, his toned stomach glistening slightly as he continued to dance. His bare feet scuffed the sandy ground, and the second his eyes opened, he looked at his special guest.

Rei knew it wasn't him of course. Nagisa's gorgeous coral eyes made contact with the dark scarlet ones of the prince. He took a step towards the prince, then back, then forward again.

The crowd seemed to laugh a little at knowing that the prince was there just to watch him. The famous dancer.

As the blonde danced closer and closer, Rei felt his body tensing up. He wanted to run out there, grab Nagisa and tell him it was wrong. But he couldn't.

Nagisa slowly wrapped his arms around the prince's neck, arching against him as his sheer veil billowed in the gentle wind.

As the prince smiled - the smile he always gave the dancer before whisking him away - Rei left.

He always went to his partner's performances, but he always left early because he couldn't stand it. The way people looked at him and treated him; the way he had to act in front of everyone.

 _"I can't stand it anymore,"_ he whispered, quickly making his way back home for another lonely afternoon.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _A few things to clear up! For starters, a 'bedlah' is an outfit that a belly dancer wears, consisting of a top piece (bra or vest) and a bottom piece (pants, skirts, sheers, etc)._

 _'Ya helo' means 'my beautiful' in Arabic._

 _The veil that Nagisa was holding is also another thing that belly dancers and normal dancers use. They usually come in silk, but can be sheer at times._


	3. It's Warmer Inside

It was a cold, rainy day. Due to the fact that the sun hadn't peeked through the clouds to wake the lovers from their slumber.

"Rei," he whispered, shaking his partner's arm while looking at his face. As Rei grunted and blinked his eyes open, Nagisa couldn't help but take a moment to realize how beautiful his partner was.

His lilac eyes were heavily glazed over with sleep, and there was a thin line of drool strung from his parted lips to his chin. Nagisa giggled a little and wiped it off gently, smoothing his thumb over Rei's strong set jaw with care.

"Nagisa..." the taller man grumbled, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Why are you waking me up? It looks like it's still early out..."

Nagisa smiled softly and laid a gentle kiss on his lover's rosy cheek. "It's actually midday," he murmured. "It's been raining all morning - there's a storm outside."

At the word _'storm'_ , Rei slowly sat up, running a hand through his knotted azure locks. "A storm?" He looked toward the window and listened to the sound of rain drumming on the roof for a good few minutes before sighing.

"Yeah, a storm." Nagisa sat up not long after he did, scooting forward to wrap his arms around Rei and press a kiss on the back of his neck. "A bad one I think..." Another kiss.

"Let's stay home and relax today," he whispered, smiling as Rei shivered from the trickle of hot breath on his ear. "I obviously can't dance out in this weather."

As Rei hummed from the gentle kisses that his beloved was now placing on his neck, he smiled. "I like that idea."

To his dismay, the kisses stopped abruptly, and he felt goosebumps rise on his skin as the blanket was removed. Nagisa had gotten to his feet, walking around the room to look for his abandoned bedlah pants. As he did so, Rei rubbed his eyes again and looked over at him.

Now it was Rei's turn to stare. The dim lighting from the window cast a soft glow on the dancer's creamy skin. His hair was severely disheveled, and Rei couldn't help but notice that the blonde's hips casually swayed as he walked.

Whether he was doing it on purpose or not, Rei couldn't tell.

All he knew was that he could feel the heavenly warmth of desire creep up his back as Nagisa found the pants. "Don't," he muttered, more like growled, for his voice came out as a gritty purr from his grogginess.

Nagisa had frozen in his tracks when Rei said that. His whole body seemed to shiver from that almost _primal_ voice that came from the back of his lover's throat. He turned to Rei, pants draped over his arm. His pupils were blown slightly with rising want, and his lips were parted in slight shock.

"Don't?," he echoed, though he knew perfectly well what Rei was implicating. Rei nodded to confirm the word before rising to his feet as well. He took the dancer's hand and led him through the hall towards another room.

The pants slid from Nagisa's arm and now laid forgotten on the floor. When Rei was like this, he knew that the taller man was either implying that he wanted to get intimate, or just take a bath. Frustratingly enough, it was the latter of the two.

Nagisa stood there quietly as Rei filled the tub with bucket after bucket of lukewarm water. "A bath huh?," he murmured. Rei didn't say anything in response.

Once the tub was full, Rei slid inside to gentle rest at the bottom. His back rested against the side of the tub, and he looked up at Nagisa. To the blonde's surprise, he smirked.

"Come here," he purred softly, patting his lap as he peered into Nagisa's rose eyes with the most _intense_ look the dancer had ever seen. Nagisa knew it was just a bath, but with the amount of flirting going on, he couldn't help but chuckle and blush in response.

He climbed into the tub, facing Rei and straddling him. Now _that,_ Rei didn't expect. His face slowly grew red as the blonde wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Something wrong Rei?," he giggled, pressing a rushed and sloppy kiss on his partner's lips with a smile. "You told me to sit, so I sat!" His nose was now barely touching Rei's, his eyes staring deeply into the purple ones across from him.

"N - no!," Rei stuttered, his hands resting tentatively on Nagisa's hips. He took a shaky breath to calm himself, and then smiled. The smile was small, but it made the dancer giggle. "You're beautiful Nagisa," the other whispered, quickly pulling him into their second kiss.

This kiss was rougher, and a bit needy if Nagisa said so himself. He gladly returned it though, giggling and scooting a bit closer so that their chests were flush against each other.

He involuntarily wriggled his hips and deepend the kiss, causing Rei to make a small noise that made the hairs on the back of the blonde's neck rise.

One of Rei's hands slid up Nagisa's side before cupping his face, suckling gently on his lower lip before nipping it softly. Nagisa squeaked at that, and the taller man had to admit - that was the cutest and most _attractive_ noise he had ever heard from his lover.

It cause him to pull Nagisa even closer. He pressed against him, for he had to have him close, had to feel his soft skin against his own...

He had to have more.

Rei kissed the dancer deeply before pulling away, smiling at the dreamy haze clouding Nagisa's gaze. His lips were red and plump, and Rei snickered at the though that the dancer wanted more.

As Nagisa sat there, dazed and seemingly in a completely different world, Rei purred his name before kissing his jaw gently, and then moving on to his neck.

He left dark red marks all over the dancer's neck and collarbone before finally stopping. Nagisa was now squirming in his lap with both impatience and need. Was it need? Or was it lust? Carnal desire even? Neither knew what it was.

Rei thought that his partner looked gorgeous, stunning even, so he told him what he thought and he drank in the dark blush and soft gasp that came from Nagisa's lips.

"I'm glad we stayed inside," Rei whispered, his lips grazing over the marks he left, the marks that said this was _his_ , that he had claimed this delicious man for his own. "It's warmer here... with you."

The dancer gasped again at that, and the pair found themselves tangled in an embrace once more, lips clashing against each other as heated breaths and moans finally escaped into the chilly air. "Nagisa..." he whispered. "Nagisa..."

The two stayed inside for the rest of the day, the bath easily forgotten as they began to explore each other's bodies in a different way. Neither even cared that the rain had only gotten heavier, and that there was a leak in one of the other rooms.

It was warmer inside, when they were together, and that was all that they cared about as they continued into the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hey! Thanks for staying with this story so far! It's really fun doing these shorts. However, even though this is only chapter 3, and I have an idea for chapter 4, I need more! Suggestions are always welcome, so just leave it in the review section below and I'll try my best! (No actual smut though, please.)_


	4. A Prince's Love

Nagisa had been feeling a bit under the weather for the past couple of days. He could've sworn he had a fever the day before as he danced before the prince, but he shrugged it off by thinking it was just the accursed heat of the Arabian sun.

Now this morning, as he sat curled in a ball on his shared bed with this lover, he realized he truly was sick. His face felt like it was on fire, and bile kept trying to rise in his throat with every passing second.

He knew he had to go and dance today though - it was the prince's birthday, and if he wasn't there for the special occasion, who knew how the prince would react.

As Rei shuffled under the covers, wrapping an arm around the dancer's stomach, Nagisa felt the bitter taste of vomit in his mouth. He quickly pushed Rei away from him, dashing away from him, trying to find a bucket - anything to throw up in.

His eyes set on a large pot in the kitchen - his partner would definitely be upset over his pot being tainted but the blonde couldn't help it. He quickly rushed over and emptied out the contents of his stomach, his hard heaves causing tears to gather in his eyes.

"Nagisa..?," mumbled Rei's drowsy voice, the taller man stumbling into the kitchen. He was rubbing his eyes to try and get rid of the grogginess that lay there.

The second his lilac eyes set on the heaving blonde in the middle of the room, he gasped in shock. "Nagisa! Oh no… Are you okay?" He came up behind the dancer and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Nagisa pulled away from the pot and wiped his mouth. His face was a sickly pale, and his eyes had taken on the shade of a dying rose. "I'm okay Rei…," he rasped, a weak smile growing on trembling lips. "Don't worry about it."

Lines of worry were etched into Rei's face as Nagisa stumbled back into their bedroom, grabbing his pants and bedlah vest and throwing them on. "Where's my other earring?," he grumbled, searching through the vanity drawers for his missing earpiece.

"I don't think you should go out and dance today Nagisa," Rei murmured. "You're obviously not in any condition to do so." He was quickly met with a weak but fearful glare from the blonde.

"You don't understand Rei," Nagisa whispered, finding the other earring and putting it on. "Today is the prince's birthday. I have to do whatever he wants…"

He stood there silently, back turned to Rei as he waited for a response. He was met with nothing but silence, and footsteps as Rei walked away. "I don't mind," Rei grumbled. "I have to clean the pot anyway."

Nagisa glanced over at him with a look of shock, his lips parted slightly as tears once again clouded his gaze. He knew that his lover hated it when he went to dance even in the worst conditions, but he had to - for them.

It didn't take long for him to find himself twirling in the streets of the city, the sun beating down on him harshly. He found himself unbearably dizzy, the colors of the city blending together in one garbled mess.

He had to pause now and then to catch his breath and calm his stomach, and he didn't once dance near the prince in fear of him finding out his condition.

Nagisa finished a bit earlier than usual, and sat down quickly under the shade of a building. Everyone was clapping, but he couldn't hear it. He could barely see anything.

But the prince still noticed. From afar, he could tell that the dancer was out of his element. He looked fairly pale, and was it just the prince or were his movements more lethargic than usual?

"Bring him to me," he whispered to a guard, watching as he went to retrieve the dancer from the shade across the street.

His red eyes narrowed as he saw the blonde barely move. What the hell was going on here? The guard had to help him up to his feet, and then help him walk across the street like he was a crippled man.

"Come to me Nagisa," Rin muttered, arms open so the dancer could sit on his lap. Nagisa just weakly nodded in response, sitting, but mainly collapsing, on the prince's lap. Rin pressed the back of his hand to the blonde's forehead, and he gasped once he saw how hot it was.

"I'm fine my Lord… It's just the sun…" Nagisa seemed frail and trembled in Rin's arms - he knew those words were all a lie.

He silently gestured to the guards to get moving, his gilded chair being lifted into the air and carried towards his castle. The dancer was slowly losing consciousness, and the prince adjusted him so that he was laying across his lap.

"Just rest Nagisa," he sighed, running his fingers through his favorite harem member's hair with a small smile. "You deserve it."

Right away, after a small shocked look, Nagisa gladly took his advice and quickly passed out. His body grew heavier and a sigh left his lips as he officially relaxed.

Rin just continued to stroke his hair with a worried glance. "Are you worried about him my Lord?," asked a guard, trying not to sound too curious by the sudden act of kindness given by his master.

"I am," the prince replied. "He's one of my favorites… I would hate if something happened to him." The guard nodded at the response and went back to his post.

It didn't take long for them to arrive, and Rin made haste to lay the dancer down on his bed. "Get a cold bath prepared," he ordered the nearest servant, taking the job of peeling the sweat-stained clothes off the dancer.

Nagisa's skin was flushed, and he clearly had a fever. What he was sick with, Rin didn't know, but he hoped it was nothing serious.

Once the bath was prepared, Rin lifted the dancer up in his arms again. He had never realized how light he was, but now wasn't the time for observing things like that. "Nagisa," he whispered. "You have to wake up now okay?"

He shook the blonde gently, and watched as his eyes opened slowly. They were dark and clouded; yes, he was obviously sick. "What is it Rin…?

Both men paused for a moment, Nagisa's eyes wide and Rin's lips pursed. "I - I'm sorry my Lord, it just slipped out…" But Rin interrupted him before he could continue.

"It's fine," he smiled. "You're obviously ill Nagisa. Why'd you still go to dance today?" He was met with a shameful look from the blonde, then a sigh.

"It was your birthday. It's the most important day for you and I wanted to impress you. But obviously I didn't do that today…"

Rin smiled. He really did care for the dancer, and he had to admit - he was rather cute when his lower lip jutted out in a pout. He chuckled a bit. "But you could have come to the castle to tell me you were sick. I would have understood."

He stopped at the bathroom doorway, looking at the near full tub before stepping in. "Your health is of utmost importance to me Nagisa. You're my best dancer and my favorite member. I want you to take care of yourself so that you do your best every day."

As he set Nagisa in the bath gently, he found the sickly pink eyes staring into his own dark red ones. "What're you staring at?," he grumbled, looking away and focusing on a cracked tile instead.

"You're really kind when you want to be Rin," the dancer whispered, in a voice that caused chills to run down the prince's spine. Nagisa rarely ever said his name, even when they were engaging in sexual relations.

He liked the way it sounded…

He snapped out of his stupor by looking back at the blonde, eyes wide. "You um.. You think so?," he chuckled, smiling nervously.

Nagisa just smiled and nodded. "I do. I mean - you didn't punish me for not being satisfactory today, and you decided to draw me a bath to cool me down. That's really nice of you."

Even though his breath was hot and his skin was flushed, he leaned forward to press a light kiss to the prince's lips. "I appreciate that."

Rin stood there frozen. Nagisa slid all the way into the water and giggled at the cooling sensation, closing his eyes as he relaxed once more.

The dancer had never kissed Rin. Well, they had kissed many times before, but only when he was told to. Rin was foreign to the possibility of an actual kiss with true meaning behind it, and found himself growing red.

"E - enjoy your bath," he stammered, getting to his feet and leaving the room before either one of them could say another word.

It wasn't until a good half hour later that Nagisa returned, a fluffy towel draped around his waist. He saw the prince lying there in bed, and slid in quietly behind him. "I'm sorry for causing you any trouble," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of the prince's neck.

He felt the prince seize up under him, and sat up. "Is something wrong my Lord?" He felt Rin sigh before he turned to him, red eyes looking troubled.

"Don't kiss me," he grumbled. "I mean… if you're doing it to make me feel better, I don't want them." He looked away with a blush painting his face again, and Nagisa couldn't help but laugh.

"Why would I ever kiss you without meaning it?," he laughed. The prince looked up in shock. But that meant, that every time they ever kissed, he…

"You meant it every time?," he whispered, causing the blonde to grow quiet. Red eyes searched pink ones for an answer, something to contradict what was just said, but his eyes were sakura pools of honesty.

"I do," Nagisa smiled. "Even if I kiss someone else, I still mean it. I always mean my kisses, whether platonic or not. What's the point of kissing someone if there's no feeling behind it? I… I may be part of a harem, but I still care for you."

Rin just looked shocked, his breathing shallow as he tried to process what was just said. He didn't like the dancer in that way, and he knew the dancer didn't like him that way either. But just hearing those words made his heart soar.

"Thank you Nagisa," he beamed, hugging the dancer for a moment before pulling away. "Don't mention this to anyone, deal?" The laugh he earned from the blonde was worth it.

With a smile, Nagisa nodded. "Deal."


End file.
